The Prince and the Avatar
by just delete this account
Summary: WOO! 03-21-10 to 03-21-10 IT'S ZUKAANG WEEK EVERYBODY! and this story is the compilation of my entries for each day first up day 1-motive!
1. Motive

At last the time has come!!! the official start of Zukaang week today everybody!!! And so I give you the first of my contributions. I hope you enjoy!!!!!

Day 1- Motive

Rating- T

Genre- General/Romance

Summary: AU!!! Be warned!!! And a modern day AU at that!!! But wait, before you run away screaming, lemme just say that there's just soo little zukaang modern AUs out there and I haven't written one in a while so…yeah! I am aware that in our world, the 4 year technical year gap between them is most likely gonna be a problem but it's not really pedophilia when they're both in high school, which they are here. Besides, it's not illegal as long as they don't do anything beside hug and kiss…err…Well…just read! XD

Zuko notices that Aang is acting a bit weird…well weirder than usual. He's not sure but it feels like Aang is heavily playing at something. Don't get him wrong he's usually pretty clever but when it comes to the gray eyed boy, he's as dense as a brick wall.

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING!!!! Avatar the last airbender is the property of nickelodeon and created by the awesomely awesome Mike and Bryan. AAAANND the book mentioned bellow, Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment is owned by award winning novelist James Patterson.

* * *

It's a cold, snowy winter night and from his place, sprawled out on the small couch in his room, Zuko could see the leafless tree branches from the tree next to his window shaking amongst the wind and snow, as if they can feel the negative 10 something chill outside. The heater was on high but just looking at the flurry of white and the shivering twigs outside was making Zuko feel cold, even under his thick duck egg blue sweater and dark gray sweat pants. Whoever was outside right now was damn unlucky, or maybe they aren't…if they weren't a popsicle by now.

Zuko clicks his tongue absently and turns his attention back to the worn paper back copy of 'Maximum Ride, the Angel experiment' he has in his hands. Aang lent it to him last month, said it was a really good book and that Zuko would probably like it. He didn't get around to reading it until two days ago, too lazy and not too interested to read a sci-fi/action novel about 6 mutant bird kids on the run from the insane scientists who created their genetically altered behinds. Aang had not been happy that he neglected reading the book and had incessantly asked, whined, pouted, whined some more, threatened and pleaded before Zuko finally gave in and started the damn book.

And damn, even Zuko would admit, the book was really good.

He could easily see why Aang, who would choose anything, anything at all over reading any day, would enjoy it. It was fast-paced, witty and humorous, with just the right little dose of angst to balance it out so that the action wouldn't seem ridiculous with all the sarcastic humor that the lead character was dishing out. Yep, Zuko really, really liked the book. But he'd be damned if he ever admitted that to Aang. Well, come to think of it, the gray eyed boy would probably be smug about it for only about 5-10 minutes, then he'd be happy and cuddly and all "Thank you so much for reading it Zuko!" Then he'd kiss Zuko on the cheek and be back to cuddling him like a giant teddy bear.

Hmph…well, that's not so bad. Zuko would rather enjoy that actually.

One corner of his mouth lifts. Aang would be happy, because he did it for him. Weird how the littlest gestures from him could bring the brightest smiles to Aang's face.

'_Maybe it's because he really does love you.'_ Whispers the voice in his mind and Zuko couldn't help but agree. After all it was Aang who pursued him so restlessly even after all of his transparent refusals of a relationship, Aang who would die if he ever got into any legal trouble for being with him because of their four year gap, Aang who always brushes off said gap and fiercely defends him and their relationship against anyone who disagrees, Aang who accepts him for everything he is, Aang who goes out of his way every weekend at precisely 6:25 to bring him a bar of home made dark chocolate because he knows Zuko loves it so damn much, Aang who doesn't try to go beyond hugs and kisses on the cheek in fear of making Zuko uncomfortable and it's Aang who stares at him with wide gray eyes with an intensity that makes Zuko's heart skip a beat or three.

Zuko turns his eyes to the clock hanging on his wall and purses his lips. It was already 7:00

And it's Aang who should have been here 35 minutes ago to give him his chocolate. Slowly, he rises from his languid sprawl and pads across the carpeted floor to his bedside drawer. He was just about to grab the small red flip-up phone resting next to his lamp when the slightly muffled sound of the doorbell ringing makes it to his ears and makes him pause. He hears the door open and his uncle's voice from somewhere downstairs before there were footsteps coming up the stairs and down the hall to his room. Zuko turns around to look just as his door swung open and in came the person he was just about to call, face pale as a sheet behind the light pink flush across his cheeks. Gray eyes were slightly watery but nothing short of warm as they landed on him.

"Hi." Aang greets him, pulling out something from his back pocket and holding it up with one gloved hand.

"I got you're chocolate." He says, smiling at Zuko sweetly.

"You're late." Zuko replies flatly though his lips twitched from a suppressed smile as soon as he laid eyes on Aang.

Aang's smile morphs into a sheepish grin and he brings up his other hand to rub at his neck sheepishly. "Yeah. Sorry about that, I was…distracted" he said. Zuko raises an eyebrow. "By what?" he asks, moving past Aang to close the still open door.

"Oh nothing much, I was just talking with Katara on the phone. I forgot what we were even talking about but it must've been really interesting because we were on the phone for about an hour and a half." Aang replies, fiddling with the smoke gray scarf wrapped snugly around his neck. Zuko leans against the now closed door and runs an appreciative gaze over his boyfriend. He was wearing faded denims that were loose enough to look perfect on him, black white laced converse high tops, a black pea coat and that smoke gray scarf that matched his eyes and the gray gloves he wore in each hand. A small sly voice in Zuko's head couldn't help letting out an approving whistle and a low _'niiice' _at the sight. Aang definitely looked better in dark colors than the hideous shades of yellow, brown and orange that he usually wears to school every day. His gaze travels further upwards and settles on Aang's still pale-flushed face and just then notices that his ears were pretty red too and that his eyelashes and buzz cut brown hair that he started growing three months ago were slightly damp. Zuko frowns.

"You look frozen, you didn't walk all the way here did you?" Zuko asks, sneaking a glance at the window, where snow still fell to the earth in a flurry of frozen winds and bits of white.

"I did." Aang replies and Zuko's frown deepenes. Seeing the lecturing on his safety that he knew Zuko was gonna give him, Aang quickly explains. "You only live a couple of blocks away, besides I couldn't ask Gyatso to drive me even if I wanted to, he's sick. Plus I realized I was late, so I just grabbed my coat and my scarf, the chocolate and ran out the door."

"So, you walked like what, half an hour in the snow just to get me chocolate? You're insane. You should've just called me." Zuko says sternly, crossing his arms over his chest. He may seem more reluctant when it came to displaying affection in their relationship but that doesn't mean that he cares for Aang any less than Aang does for him.

Aang shrugs. "Force of habit? Tradition? I don't know. My week just isn't complete without bringing you chocolate on a Saturday night." He says, brushing off his recent act of slight stupidity like he always does.

Zuko continues to stare at him austerely for a few more seconds but eventually, he rolls his eyes and raises his arms in invitation silently. He was an idiot, but he was an idiot who braved the subzero temperatures just to see Zuko and get him a little bar of bittersweet chocolate. Eyes twinkling at the unabashed offer, Aang walks the short distance between them and wraps his arms around Zuko's torso, pressing his cheek into the crook of Zuko's neck, the same time Zuko's arms come up to encircle the small of his back. He feels the harsh difference in the temperature of their skin almost immediately and evidently Zuko did too because he jerks slightly and lets out a small hiss.

"Fuck, you're cold." He mumbles but makes no move to step out of the embrace.

"I knw. 'm srry." Aang replies, voice muffled by the fabric of Zuko's shirt.

Zuko grunts in reply and waits for Aang to pull away, he always does first and he usually does about 5 seconds after the hug, even when he himself initiated the contact. But he isn't moving for some reason. Zuko counts the seconds in his head. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,

"Ok, I think you're pretty warm now and _I'm_ getting cold. Can you let go please?"

Aang's arms slip away from his torso but Zuko could tell that the action was reluctant.

"Sorry. Chocolate?" Aang asks, holding out the home made, aluminum foil wrapped, chocolate bar still clutched in his hand.

* * *

About 10 minutes later, Zuko finds himself back on his couch, eyes focused on the small flat screen TV across his couch, flat on his back, with his head pillowed on Aang's lap. Don't ask him how he ended up there because to be honest, he isn't so sure himself. One moment they were just sitting on the couch, talking and idly munching on the dark chocolate that Aang brought. Then they were watching TV, then Aang had his head on his shoulder, entire side pressed against Zuko as if the younger boy was trying to burrow into his skin, then he was coaxing Zuko to lie down and Zuko refused at first, but somehow got talked or cuddled or whatever into it.

Some cartoon about people controlling elements via martial arts was on but Zuko isn't paying attention. His focus is divided between feeling Aang's fingers running soothingly over and over again through his hair and sneaking side long glances at him from his place on his lap. Aang had taken his coat and scarf off some time between sitting on the couch and watching TV and is now clad in a simple sage green long sleeved shirt. His storm gray eyes are focused on the TV screen but his bottom lip is caught between his teeth and there is a tiny dent between his eyebrows that suggests that he was thinking hard about something.

Zuko was tempted to chew on his own bottom lip speculatively as he is drawn into deep pondering as well. Tonight considered, Aang has been really…touchy lately. Mind you, he's always been a cuddly, touchy-feely sort of person but he was a bit more subdued than he recently is. Now that he thinks about it, for a while now, Aang was constantly either draped all over him or pressed up against him and not that he really minds but, it was a little weird. Yeah, just this week alone, he thinks Aang must've touched, hugged and cuddled enough to last him a lifetime or two. At school, he would always inconspicuously slip his hand into Zuko's and intertwine their fingers together under the cafeteria tables or in the hallways when he thinks no one is looking. And don't even get him started on what Aang does when they're alone. It's all arms around the neck, torso, waist, head leaning on the shoulder and kisses on the cheek, jaw, forehead and every part of his face aside from his mouth.

Suddenly, Aang's other hand, which was resting dormant on Zuko's chest, slides up to his neck and starts stroking down the side soothingly with his fingertips, like he usually does when he's trying to either calm Zuko down or get him mellow enough to ask something of him. Hmmm… He's not sure but it feels like Aang is heavily playing at something. But for the life of him, he can't figure out what it is, or if he's even right about Aang hinting at something in the first place. Slowly, he sneaks another sidelong glance at the younger boy and presses his teeth into his bottom lip in thought.

What is it Aang? What are you thinking?

He wanted to ask, but refrained from doing so, not wanting to do anything unless he was really sure about it himself.

They sit in silence for a few more minutes, with Aang staring blankly at the TV screen and Zuko staring at him out of the corner of his eyes.

"…."

"……"

Aang drumms his fingers against Zuko's neck and Zuko shifts his head on his lap slightly.

Another minute of silence then some commercial about a jewelry store comes up on the TV screen and Aang frowns. Zuko, who still has his eyes on him, turns to look at what Aang saw or was still seeing to bring that frown to his face. On the screen, there's a couple, standing together in a kitchen, the guy had just given the girl a silver heat shaped necklace by the looks of things and Zuko had turned to look exactly as their lips press together in a kiss. Zuko raises an eyebrow and turns his head so that he was looking up at Aang. Aang was now looking at him with a half calculating, half expectant look, as if he was waiting for Zuko to do something. Zuko frowns and was just about to give in and ask 'What?! What Aang???', when Aang speaks.

"You know what I don't get? Kissing."

Zuko blinks

Once

Twice

Aang was tempted to bite his lip nervously as he looks at the expression on Zuko's face but he manages not to and looks away from the wide gold eyes to pretend to look intently at the TV again. If this wasn't enough of a hint he doesn't know _what _was. He knows Zuko isn't as much of a physically affectionate person as he is but darn it, they've been together for almost a year and a half now! It's been a miracle that he hasn't just gone ahead and done it himself but now he was tired of being cautious and he'd been trying at playing at it for weeks! Like Katara said some hours ago, time to be straight forward.

"I mean, who invented it? And why did everyone just decide to go with it?"

He asks, looking down at Zuko again and almost blushing at the amused expression on his face. Zuko's eyebrows were almost to his hairline and one corner of his mouth twitches upwards. Aang was dearly tempted to take it all back, his insecure and shy side urging him to back out and crawl under a rock and die of embarrassment but he was already in a little too deep and he decides to urge himself on.

"Why did people just decide, 'let's press our lips together because we like each other'? It's so strange… What do you think Zuko?"

Zuko merely stares at him for a few seconds, eyebrows slowly lowering back to their original place.

So that was it then?

How could he have missed that?

Zuko resists the urge to sigh and instead just shakes his head slowly in exasperation. He shrugs, shoulders bumping slightly against the side of Aang's thigh as he did so.

"I dunno. It's like breathing I guess, or drinking water when you're thirsty. Or why the sky is blue, people just go with it, they don't ask about it."

Aang pouts. "What? But hasn't anyone ever wondered? _Why_ do people kiss? I mean, why press the lips together? Why do you do it? Because you just randomly decide you want to? You know, those sort of questions."

Zuko stares up at him blankly for a few seconds, then he sits up suddenly and leans forward a bit.

"You know what I think? I think that you just want to _be _kissed." he says, ending the little dance around the obvious that they were doing with the subtlety of a sledgehammer against glass.

"I…No! I-I…errr…" Aang stutters.

Zuko raises one eyebrow as if to say. _Seriously, I get it, now let's cut the bull._

"Okay, I do…" He murmurs, He doesn't know why he was suddenly so embarrassed. After all, he was the one who deliberately albeit vaguely hinted at it. He _wanted_ Zuko to pick up on what he wants but now that it was actually happening, he suddenly felt like a four year old who accidentally torched some curtains by accident and he finds a small part of him wanting Zuko to continue being as oblivious as a pile of rocks.

Zuko snorts. "All you had to do was ask."

And before Aang can retort, Zuko grabs his face with both hands and presses their mouths together.

Zuko never believed in all the crap about first kisses in romance novels but when he feels Aang's lips move against his to enclose his upper lip between his warm, soft ones, his heart thuds, stutters and doubles in rate and he realizes, a bit grudgingly that those romance novels aren't total garbage after all. He feels Aang shift closer and suddenly arms were slowly wrapping around him. Gently but firmly, he starts moving his lips against the younger boy's and finds his heart rate stopping, before speeding up _again._ Aang lets out a half sigh, half moan and responds eagerly.

He's not sure but Zuko thinks that the soft whimper he hears came from his own throat. He supposes he should be mortified if it was but honestly, right now, he just doesn't care. Aang's lips were girlishly soft and warm and felt just so _oh_, fucking amazing against his own and he wonders why the hell he waited so long to do this with him.

They spend several more minutes kissing as if 2012 is true and today was December 21st and after they separate for air, Zuko's arms are somehow loosely wrapped around Aang's neck and Aang's hands had mysteriously ended up against Zuko's sides, under his shirt.

"That," Aang says breathlessly. "That was," he kisses Zuko again.

"Mmm, yeah…" Zuko murmurs and somehow they just both understand and Aang smiles.

"Aang?"

"Hmm?"

"Listen up because I'm only gonna say this once, whenever you want to, just kiss me. I really don't mind."

Aang's grin widens and he nods. _Just kiss me_

Sure, he can do that. He doesn't really need a motive to kiss Zuko. He doesn't mind and neither does Aang. Besides, it's like he said, people just go with it, they don't ask why.

* * *

Mehhhh……(shrugs)

This was rather light and sweet, romantic novel crap-ish but I don't care I'm a true sap at heart and I liked this XD


	2. Storms

Day 2 – storms

Rating – K+

Genre - Friendship/comfort

Summary: Wow my first pre-slash fanfic. XD This is probably THE most innocent piece of work I've ever written. Srsly.

Storms are dark, dismal, cold and frightening but you can't do anything but wait for it to pass. However, waiting isn't so bad when you know someone is there with you.

* * *

The distinct sound of thunder rumbling echoed beyond the balcony to his room and slowly, Zuko turned his head to look. He knew that it was coming, he saw dark clouds looming above the horizon a few days ago. It surprised him that it got here this quick though…Or maybe he just hasn't been here on Ember island for so long that he forgot how fast those rare storms approached the small island.

Sighing softly to himself, he turned his eyes back to the wooden ceiling. It was…hmmm, sometime near…or is it past? Midnight and he's been lying here on his bed, staring at the ceiling for what felt like forever. He's thought over and over about everything from the next set of fire bending moves he'll be teaching Aang tomorrow, to what he'll do once the war was over and by now he's run out of things to ponder and reflect on. He tried counting koala sheep, he tried forcing himself to sleep but no, he's still as awake as he would be if Sozin's comet were only an hour away. He's even thought of the difference in blue between the common water tribe person's eyes, the ocean, the sky and everything blue he could come up with but even stupid pointless thoughts like that had left him bored but oh, so painfully awake.

He doesn't mind that much, after all he'd gone through countless sleepless nights over the years but every now and then a person just needs to close their eyes and escape the real world for a few hours. Besides, fire bending training today was intense and he was a little tired.

About maybe three hours later, the storm that he heard brewing earlier had reached ember island and the roaring winds whipping the trees outside and the whip crack sound of thunder, not to mention the blinding flashes of lighting did absolutely nothing to help ease Zuko's insomnia.

_Thump_

Zuko blinked at the sound of something hitting a wall and he sat up, head tilted to the side when not even 2 seconds after the first thump sounded, another followed…and another, and another. Frowning, the fire bender dropped his feet to the floor and stood up. What was that? It sounded like it was coming from the wall directly across from his bed. A flash of lightning illuminated the entire room for a split second and as the loud crack of thunder followed it, Zuko stepped forward and started crossing the small distance between his bed and the wall. He placed one hand against it and added his ear too after a second or two.

_Thump_

_Thump _

_Thump_

Zuko narrowed his eyes and listened harder.

_Thump-thump_

_Thump-thump_

It was faint, seemingly fainter with the thunder and pouring rain outside but in between the thumps, there were other, softer thuds. Zuko frowned again. Hmmm…it sounds like…like someone was throwing something against the wall and that something bounced against the floor, before returning to whoever was throwing it and starting the process all over again. He stepped away from the wall and looked at it blankly. This wall would be…left of his door and the room to his left would be…

Without another thought, he turned and made his way out of his room, stopping only when he was standing in front of the door next to his. He hesitated for only a second before twisting the knob and pushing the door open and as soon as he did, lightning flashed repeatedly and the loudest crack of thunder he heard so far echoed with deafening clarity. In the brief light of the few second long flicker of lightning, he saw a small figure on the floor, next to the bed, jump and cover it's ears as the thunder crashed.

In the darkness that followed after that, Zuko pulled out a small flame to illuminate the small figure, now hunched in on himself, knees slightly drawn up and asked.

"What are you doing?"

The flame in his hand shone light on wide gray eyes as they regarded him with surprise.

"Zuko!" Aang said in surprise. "What are you still doing up?" he continued, bringing one hand down from his ear to rest on something by his leg. Zuko looked down and saw that it looked to be a small grayish ball of some sort. Hmph, it must be what he was throwing at the wall earlier.

"Couldn't sleep…somebody was throwing something against the wall" Zuko replied, taking a few steps into the room. Aang looked like he was about to apologize or explain but Zuko cut him off before he could.

"Why are you up?" he questioned, staring down at the avatar with a raised eyebrow.

Aang shifted to face him fully and hesitated for a split second. "I...couldn't sleep either. The storm was…umm…bothering me…" he trailed off, looking like he regretted saying anything when he glanced up at Zuko's face hesitantly. Zuko's eyebrow arched higher.

"What? You're afraid of a little lightning and thunder? What are you, five?"

Aang's hesitant expression turned indignant and he crossed his arms over his chest. "I didn't say it _scared _me, I said it _bothered_ me. There's a difference." He said in a huff.

If there was more room in his face to lift his eyebrow further, he probably would've.

"Oh really? Enlighten me."

Aang looked surprised, then unsure, then…solemn…like something really was bothering him and he was ashamed to share it. At his expression, Zuko's eyebrow slowly lowered and concern started to kick in. Ever since he joined their group, it seems that helping others had suddenly become instinct to Zuko and Aang was certainly no exception to that. Especially not when he's looking like that; closed off and troubled, as if someone had gone and broken Momo's arms before chucking him off a cliff.(Aang would be seriously devastated by that he was sure) He may not show it but he considers the avatar a close friend and he was rather fond of him. And he would deny it under torture but he has a really soft spot for people he was fond of. So, when Aang is here, sitting on the floor in front of him, looking like the end of the world was coming in a few minutes, he couldn't help but feel concerned.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked softly, surprised at the unusual gentleness to his own voice.

Diffidently, Aang returned his gaze back to Zuko's for a second before slowly dropping it to the floor. He sighed heavily.

"…It makes me remember…and I don't like it…" He murmured, drawing his knees closer to himself and wrapping his arms around them.

Something twinged within Zuko at how small and vulnerable Aang seemed at that moment. Sympathy perhaps? He looked so young, like the past year hadn't happened and he was still that innocent, round faced boy with wide gray eyes that had no hint of ever seeing war or violence that Zuko had seen at the south-pole. Well, he was still a child after all, no matter what everybody else says. So what if he's the all powerful and legendary avatar, savior of the world and keeper of peace? He's a _child_. A mere boy, barely 13 years of age and everyone in the entire world expected him to save them. Zuko knew it must've been hard on him, all that pressure. But he'd never actually seen the side of Aang that showed how fragile that must've made him. And now that he has…

Slowly, Zuko moved closer until he was standing directly in front of the avatar before lowering himself to the floor and crossing his legs.

"Why don't you tell me about it? What you remember…Talking about your problems or just saying them aloud usually helps take them off your mind." Zuko said in a tone of voice that he assumes a mother would probably use when comforting their distraught child or a brother comforting a younger sibling. He supposed he might be embarrassed when he recalls this later on but as of the moment he didn't care. Aang looked like he really needed the comfort right now and Zuko wasn't heartless as to not offer it when he has the chance.

Aang lifted his eyes off the floor to gaze at Zuko's face. The gray eyes lingered for a few seconds, calculating, before drifting off to the side to gaze blankly at something beyond Zuko's head. He released a barely audible sigh and spoke.

"There was a storm that night, I got caught in it. It was horrible, I was so scared. It was only maybe for a few minutes because the waves knocked me unconscious almost immediately, but in those few minutes, I was terrified, knowing that I couldn't escape the ocean and that I would probably drown and die, alone and forgotten…like I probably would've been if I didn't leave."

Zuko was confused, he'd been told countless stories about each person in their little group since he joined it but he's sure he'd never heard of what Aang was telling him now.

"If you didn't leave from where?" he asked, urging Aang to further explain.

"The southern air temple…" He hesitated for a bit then said in a voice so soft, it almost got drowned out by another clap of thunder outside. "…home."

Lightning flashed again and as it illuminated the room briefly, Zuko got a glimpse of saddened, almost haunted silver-gray eyes. Aang waited for a few seconds before continuing.

"They were gonna send me away. They wanted me to throw away my life to be the avatar, to train and fight like I'm supposed to. But I couldn't let them do that to me. I wasn't ready, I was scared, I was confused. I didn't want to be the avatar, so why should I have to suffer for something that I didn't even choose?...So I ran away, I chose to be selfish and I ran away. I wasn't sure where I would go but it didn't matter because before I got there, the storm shot me and Appa down into the ocean, where we got swallowed up by the water and where I got trapped in an iceberg…I regret it more than anything."

Neither of them said anything for a few seconds but the sound of the storm still going outside didn't make the silence uncomfortable.

"I was upset with the monks when I left but I didn't want them gone. I didn't even hate them…but they weren't there anymore when I woke up. I left them when they needed me… The storm was the last thing I remember before waking up after Katara and Sokka found me. And maybe that's why all the bad things got tied in to the storm and up to today, I don't like storms…"

and it was true. Storms made him remember, that night, the fear of dying, being sent away, the fear of being alone. He was alone in that storm and before that; the world wanted him to be alone to fight for_ their_ needs. And even long afterward, after he found Sokka, Katara and everyone else he considered to be his family. After that storm, he was the last airbender, the _only_ one of his kind…and it was somewhat his fault. He was alone in a way that no one could understand and he tried to forget it, he really did. But it wasn't that easy. Like a dark storm cloud, it loomed over his head, dark and menacing. And occasionally, something like this storm tonight makes him remember full force and he gets like this, troubled with fears and memories.

He turned his eyes to Zuko's face, barely visible in the dim light of the flame he still had going in his palm. The older boy was looking at him with an expression that seemed like a mixture of concern, hesitation and thoughtfulness.

"…I see." He said neutrally. "Do you feel better now that you've said it aloud?"

Aang blinked at the question, only then realizing that as a matter of fact…yeah, he did feel better. He voiced this out and Zuko nodded before giving him a split second almost smile, which Aang returned with a genuine one. Not that he minded but thinking about it now, he expected Katara to be the one to find him tonight and comfort him, like she did before a year ago when she braved the storm to find him.

But Zuko, though he may not seem like it, in his own little way, can be just as much of a comfort as Katara. And just by merely being there and offering him few words and an ear too.

"I know there's really nothing I can say that would make you feel a little more better about the whole thing but you know, the past is the past, there's nothing you can do to change it and besides, it's the now that always matters, not the then. It's who you are and what you're going to do that defines your life and yourself, not who you were and what you did." Here Zuko paused and looked away, giving Aang the impression that his words affected him more than they did Aang. "…And if you tell anybody I said this, I swear I will grab the nearest object and choke you with it, but…you're not alone. We are all with you." Zuko continued, fixing Aang with a look that displayed nothing but honesty.

And somehow, that was better than any 'it wasn't your fault that you ran away and the air nomads got wiped out' or 'I'm sorry that things are like that' that he had ever received.

With just a few simple words and a directness and sincerity that no one can deny, Zuko chased out the storm clouds hovering within Aang's mind and heart, like the sun coming out from behind the clouds to chase the lightning and thunder away. Aang smile widened a bit. The comparison of Zuko to the sun wasn't lost on him and he felt strangely fascinated and grateful to the teen in front of him. He was so very like the fire that he bends. Wild, fierce, mistreat it and you get burned but if you don't fear it, you'd know that if offers you light and warmth.

"Thank you, Zuko." He murmured without even stopping to really think about it.

Zuko looked surprised but nevertheless nodded then shrugged. "Don't mention it."

Aang grinned. "Wow Zuko, why are you so good at fixing other people's problems? And who would have thought you'd be thoughtful enough to even bother. That's kinda sweet you know."

Zuko frowned at him. "Seriously. Do not mention it."

Aang laughed. "I won't. They probably all know anyway, I mean after all you did take a life changing field trip with almost all of us. Plus you are on our side now,"

"Aang"

"Hmm?"

"Shut up."

He laughed again. "But seriously, thank you."

Another bolt of lightning flashed outside and as it illuminated the room for a second, Zuko saw a glint in Aang's eye that made him just believe the boy's gratitude. A few more seconds passed and Aang didn't relinquish his gaze from Zuko's face and it slowly but surely made the firebender uncomfortable. It was no big deal really. He couldn't sleep and Aang looked really pitiful so…It wasn't like he hasn't helped him before in some way or another. He didn't get why Aang looked at him like _that. _Like he hasn't gotten anything nice from anyone, ever and Zuko had been the first one to give it to him.

Zuko grunted in reply. "Yeah, well…" He stood up.

"Will you be fine if I left you by yourself?" he asked.

The look that crossed Aang's face practically screamed the answer to Zuko but Aang fixed his features to look neutral and said the opposite of what was still lingering in his eyes.

"Yeah. I'm good, you can go."

He said, standing up from his place on the floor and making a show of sitting down on his bed. His, 'I'm back to my normal, nice and happy self and I'm totally fine' face was pretty impressive but even in the dim lighting of the flame that was still blazing in his hand, Zuko could see the mild panic and fear in the airbender's eyes. Zuko was silent for a few seconds, then he rolled his eyes and sighed.

"You know what? I don't think I'm gonna be able to sleep anyway…and since you kept me up for a bit, I think I have the right to do the same so," He sat down on the floor again. "I'm staying."

Aang was surprised to say the least as he gazed down at the firebender sitting on his floor, gray eyes wide. Then, much to Zuko surprise, the avatar smiled, stood and a split second later, was kneeling on the floor, lean arms wrapped around his neck. Zuko jumped in surprise and immediately extended the arm that had the flame on it, so as to make sure it didn't burn Aang's clothes. He felt warm breath skate down the side of his neck and he blushed.

"Thanks"

Storms are dark, dismal, cold and frightening but you can't do anything but wait for it to pass. However, waiting isn't so bad when you know someone is there with you.

* * *

This sucked pretty much...but I tried to make it as good as possible XP. But anyway, thanks for reading.

And I'm well aware of all the tense shifting going on up there but by the time I noticed I was too lazy and too frustrated to care. I had a reaally really bad day when I wrote this DX. Old writing habits die hard eh? I'm just now learning to resist shifting tenses and when I wrote this, I wasn't really thinking of that. Plus my beta was unable to edit this so...yeah. Hope you guys didn't mind that much.


	3. Duty

Day 3- Duty

Rating – T

Genre – Angst

Summary – Ever since finding out he was the avatar, Aang had chosen duty over practically everything else he wanted. He should be used by now, really…but how come when it came to him, it's so hard to accept that he has to let go?

* * *

Look at them, so happy and perfect together. Childhood friends turned lovers, now finally taking the final step and bonding their lives together. They turn towards each other and he lifts the veil off her face. She beams at him, he smiles back.

A bitter smile tugs at his lips when he sees the guilt flicker for a split second in his eyes. She didn't see it he was sure, no one did. Ever since he became a fully realized fire lord, Zuko had always been outstandingly good at hiding what he was feeling. But he can never hide anything from him, He'd seen those eyes bright with happiness, heavy with guilt, burning with anger, clouded by desire, hardened by sadness, he'd seen it all and maybe that's why he can always see what's going on behind those ocher irises.

The fire lord and his newly pronounced fire lady turns towards the crowd, bows and were greeted by a thunderous applause. Beside him, his friends cheer, mouths stretching into wide smiles. He forces one himself and turns his head to meet the cheerful blue eyes of his closest friend and current lover. They share a look and a smile for brief seconds before turning their attention to the front, where the newlyweds were now holding hands and looking down at the crowd with pleased smiles.

Gold eyes scan the crowd discretely and stops once they land on familiar gray ones that were focused on their owner with unwavering intensity. The forced smile on his face almost disintegrates completely when those golden eyes simultaneously warm and harden before flashing with well concealed pain. He manages to keep his forced smile from completely vanishing and he was able to maintain a microscopic, barely there smile in it's place, although he thinks that his eyes were reflecting what he saw in those golden irises, ten-fold.

They continue to gaze into the other's eyes for another prolonged moment, then she had her hand on his face, turning it towards hers, then they were kissing and the applause around him was growing even louder. Something twists inside his chest and the dull pain shoots down his spine, to the rest of his body until he was aching all over. He takes in a shaky breath that immediately gets drowned out by the sound of the crowd around him.

'_I chose this, we both did'_

He thinks to himself for the millionth time since that morning and as he does, the ache originating from his chest only seems to get worse. He sighs silently. He really should get over it, ever since the very beginning, they knew this was how things will end up.

…still doesn't make it any easier to accept it though.

He spends the first 15 or so minutes of the celebration that immediately followed the wedding, avoiding the happy couple, Katara and his own friends, not wanting to face Zuko or his friends who would certainly question why the fire lord's best man hasn't congratulated him yet and would surely drag him over to the person he wanted to avoid the most.

In the place of his friends and newly weds, he chooses old allies, comrades and friends of friends to surround himself with. They were good company but eventually, their repeated comments of 'I haven't seen you in years and I just can't believe how much you've grown!' starts getting on his nerves and he decides to move away from them. He'd grown into a tall, lean, fair skinned, and daresay handsome 19 year old, he knows that and even if he doesn't, he certainly did now. Geez, just because his eyes got a little less childishly wide and his features sharpened a bit, doesn't mean that he looked different enough for them to gush over him like he doesn't know what his own face looks like. He would rather make excuses to his friends for not going anywhere near Zuko and Mai than spend another minute hearing of the difference between his 12 year old self and his current self from another commander, general or warrior he can't even recall meeting.

He was about to look for Katara and ask her to congratulate the newly weds with him just so no one would find his sudden detachment to the fire lord suspicious and he wouldn't find the act as awkward and painful, when he turns around and finds golden eyes fastened upon him unwaveringly from across the fire nation palace courtyard. The earlier guilt and pain were still there but this time it was almost completely overshadowed by a sadness so strong, he had to avert his gaze and wonder how anybody who looked into that gaze could miss it. His heart wrenches and aches all over again as he remembers the last time he saw those eyes look at him like that.

It was over a week ago, he and Zuko had avoided each other for almost an entire month after the latter announced his engagement to his lady, Mai. But knowing that he was about to finally lose him, Aang ignored the part of him that was against his forbidden affair with Zuko from the very start and go see him.

He snuck into his chambers through his window, like he had so many times before and as soon as he got there, he barely had a glimpse of the fire lord's surprised face, before he was pulled into a breathless kiss and hands were tugging at his tunic and trying to get it off as fast as possible.

As they lay together afterwards, tangled together, damp, warm and exhausted with naked skin against naked skin, they spoke no words for what they already know hung so thick in the air around them that they didn't have to say it aloud. He laid there for countless minutes with Zuko's head on his chest and his fingers tangling themselves into Zuko's hair, his heart heavy but his mind lethargic, knowing that there was nothing he would or even could do about it. Then Zuko lifted his head and gazed at him with saddened eyes, suspiciously bright with what really looked like unshed tears. That look had his stomach feeling like it was filled with steel and his heart like a fist clenched it painfully. Then, after an eternity of a moment, Zuko dropped his head to his chest and he chose to say nothing and just wrap his arms around the firelord as hot tears seeped onto his skin.

Emotions really were a funny thing. They knew that their attraction to each other was wrong, but they went and carried out a relationship with each other behind their respective ladies' backs anyway and they knew all along that in the end they absolutely cannot be together and they'll ultimately end up with someone else but…they still hurt even though they accept the cold hard reality of their situation.

He was the fire lord and he had a duty to his country and he was the avatar and the last airbender and he had a duty both to the world and the long forgotten legacy of his people.

It's vindictive and it's unfair but it was the way things are and there's nothing they can do to change it. Zuko had the honor of his nation to regain and uphold and being with the avatar sure would do him no favors and Aang in turn, well…an entire culture, an entire race depended on him. He was the only one who can resurrect the airbenders and it was his absolute responsibility to do so.

Both of them chose their duty over each other. They _chose _it.

And yet, here they were, still unable to let go.

He meets the golden eyed gaze squarely for a few more moments before slowly turning around and walking away, unsure if his indirect invitation made it through to the fire bender.

'_What am I doing?'_ he questions himself as he makes his way to the secluded little duck pond that he always found Zuko in every time he dropped by the fire nation to visit, during the first few years of their friendship. He was supposed to be staying away from Zuko, not putting himself in the path of more temptation to stay. Hmm but then again, he didn't really look to see if Zuko followed him so…

He sighs as the familiar small, man made body of water came into view and he hastenes his steps just a bit until he was only a foot from the lone, beautiful sakura tree that had been planted next to it shortly after the old tree got cut down a few years ago. Slowly, he walks and leans against it as he gazes down at the turtle ducks wallowing in the water.

So, this is it. The end that they'd seen from the very beginning had finally come.

How did the whole thing begin again? To be completely honest, he wasn't really sure anymore. But it didn't matter because the fact is, it did happen and was technically still happening…until the end of this day most probably. It's the last day. The end. The death of this, this, erroneous, irregular relationship that they had. He smiled bitterly, what was he thinking? He didn't even sound like himself anymore. Heh. He was so bitter about the whole thing that he called the connection he had with the man who had made his heart stop more than once, made it hammer against his chest countless times, made him feel strong and weak at the same time, who understood him and completed him in a way that no one else had or could, he called it something that made it sound like a horrendous, dark, twisted thing that only resulted from unnatural lust.

Well, that's what he thought it was at first, even when he saw the way those golden irises would always warm to liquid gold at the sight of him. And for a long time, he convinced himself that that was only what it was despite how he slowly started longing for Zuko's presence, his eyes, his lips, his hands, his voice, everything that he was. But eventually, whenever reality slapped him in the face and he started hurting worse and worse, he knew that it wasn't just desire that he felt and it wasn't guilt that made him hurt. Because his chest doesn't feel like a stone had bee lodged in it whenever he looked at Katara, it felt that way whenever he was with Katara and he looked at Zuko. It wasn't guilt, it was sadness. He was sad because he couldn't have him and he wouldn't be sad if all he felt for him was lust.

And judging by the way Zuko's hugs and kisses always lingered, the unnatural gentleness his touch had whenever it was bestowed upon him, the desperate way he grabbed at Aang that night when he ended up crying for the first time in years, he thinks it's safe to assume that Zuko felt the same.

However, they never said the words. He couldn't say them. Because then, it'd be all too real and he wouldn't, absolutely wouldn't be able to let go. Even if he heard them from Zuko's lips, he thinks he'd be tempted to just take Zuko by the hand and run away, run from this world where there were duties to be fulfilled and cannot be so if they had what they really wanted.

There were times when he had come close. When the words were at the very tip of his tongue but he managed to contain them behind his lips. Like that night for example. It was the first night they had together after a month of being angry at each other…and ironically it was also the last. Zuko's engagement was something they never discussed but they knew that it'd happen eventually. Still though, when it happened, nothing stopped Aang from feeling like what he and Zuko had, had been a guiltless, twisted lie and he couldn't help but feel hateful and devastated. But eventually, he got over it and accepted once more that that was how things were and there was no point in crying over it. So he went and visited Zuko and after an intense, desperate round under the sheets, when every nerve felt open and raw and his heart felt shattered yet whole with a mixture of relief at being together again and despair at the knowledge that it will be the last time they will be, Aang almost very nearly said them.

He didn't of course but he wanted to, the words were never spoken but they were there, burning a hole through his tongue and heart. They were there when Zuko shamelessly lowered his walls and sobbed into his chest, they were there when he felt tears welling up in his own eyes, they were there as he watched Zuko sleep through the night and they were still there the dawn of the next day when he kissed Zuko one last time before sneaking out his window.

They're still here, somewhere in his chest and making it ache as he thinks about all of this.

But they don't matter, nothing does anymore.

This was it…it ends here. Why does that make it hurt so _fucking_ much?

He closes his eyes as his precious grip on the frustration and the overpowering distress inside him loosens.

'_Don't. It won't solve anything. It doesn't matter.'_ He thinks desperately, not wanting to appear weak even to his own eyes.

"Why'd you leave?"

At the familiar voice, his grip on his emotions growa dangerously loose and his heart skips a beat. He squeezes his eyes tighter and he takes a deep breath to calm himself before opening them and turning his gaze to the listless face of fire lord Zuko.

"Why did _you_?" he counters instead of answering.

Zuko lets out a snort and a half hearted smirk before stepping closer.

Neither of them said anything for a long time and Aang turns his gaze back to the turtle ducks still swimming around in the pond.

"…congratulations by the way." Aang murmurs after some time, ignoring the twinge of pain in his chest as he says it.

Zuko lets out a small grunt but otherwise said nothing. Aang continues to stare at the turtle ducks, Zuko inches closer and the silence returned. But this time it was loaded with tension that got thicker by the second until it was so much he could almost taste it.

He wants to turn his eyes to Zuko's face. See how _he_ felt about the whole thing. But he didn't dare. Instead he focuses on the words he could hear in his head so loudly that he could almost feel them hanging in the air between them.

_I hate this. I hate this so much_

_I'm sorry_

_Are you?_

_It's better off this way isn't it?_

_But it hurts. It hurts a _lot_._

_I'm gonna miss you_

_I still want you_

…_I love you_

……_.I _love _you_

Aang was tempted to squeeze his eyes shut against the raw, warm, stinging ache he feels as the words grew louder in his head, over lapping each other until they were a blur, repeating themselves over and over in his head at the same time. Moisture wells up behind his eyes and he clenches his fists tight. Not now. Don't fall apart now.

He opens his mouth. He had to do something, anything. Else, he was gonna lose it.

"…So, this is it then?" he asks, cringing at the hoarse, shaky quality to his voice.

_This it it._

_It's the end_

_It's over_

_**Over**_

_Done_

_Last_

_Goodbye._

Zuko says nothing for a few seconds then, "Yeah…I guess so."

Maybe it was the way Zuko's voice cracked at the beginning of his sentence or maybe it was because the words were still echoing in his head with deafening clarity, but whatever the reason, at that moment, he hurts worse than he ever had not just today, but in years.

_EndOverLastGoodbye_

Farewells are always so hard. Once you're attached to something and you get used to it, you can't imagine life without it anymore. The mere thought of losing it hurts, and when it actually happens…

But this was life, their life. They had expectations to live up to, duties to fulfill and they have to do it because no one else could. They have to do it without each other.

'_Just do it Aang, just let go.'_

He takes a steadying breath and bites his lip. Boy was it a bad idea to ignore his thoughts and feelings up to Zuko's wedding day. He didn't think about it to keep himself from falling apart and now, it had built up and become so strong that the emotions were tearing him apart.

The silence stretches on once again because there really wasn't anything to say, well nothing that they didn't already know anyway and nothing that would make this any easier.

_**Goodbye**_

_Just say it._

No, he couldn't. His mind can barely work properly anymore, much less his mouth. Instead, with his heart beating madly in his chest, he turns to face Zuko and nearly looks away again when he sees those golden eyes reflecting everything he was feeling with just as much intensity.

He bites his lip again and forces himself to smile.

"Can I…Can I kiss you?"

He asks, voice barely above a whisper, not caring how vulnerable, hesitant and pathetic he sounds, not today. After all, it's the last time he'll ever be like this.

Gold eyes widen and smolder as they burn into his own. Then, after what felt like an endless moment, Zuko nods shakily and Aang wastes no time, stepping closer to Zuko, grabbing his face with both hands and kissing him fiercely, all in the same second. The kiss was far from gentle but neither of them cared and as the drag of lips tongue and teeth continue, the words echoed in Aang's head, so loud that he almost physically heard it. _LastOverGoodbye_. One of his hands tighten it's hold on Zuko's face and he feels the fire bender groan into his mouth. _You're losing this. You've __**lost**__ this. Because you chose your duty over it. Because you can't have it._ He kisses him like he would die if he stops, trying desperately to engrave the feel of Zuko's mouth against his in his memory, taking what he can and pouring out everything he could into the kiss. Their last kiss.

It actually felt like minutes before they separate again and when they did, Zuko's hair was ruffled, long raven strands hanging out from the top knot he had it in and Aang's clothes were askew and rumpled. They take a moment to catch their breaths and when they meet each other's gazes once more, Aang had to bite down on his tounge to keep himself from crying. Zuko looks like he desperately wants to say something or he desperately wants to _keep_ himself from saying something but either way, it made Aang feel like a sharp piece of stone was being pressed into his heart, making it swell and ache around it…because just by looking into those pained golden eyes, he thinks he already knows all too well what it is that he's holding back or wanting to say.

"…Well, everyone's probably wondering where we are. Let's go back eh Zuko?" he asks, wanting nothing more than to run, run and get as far away from everyone and everything as soon as possible. Zuko looked like he wanted to disagree but the look only lasted for a split second and he nods hesitantly. Aang forces a smile and begins to walk away, not looking to see if Zuko was following him or not.

There. Done. Now walk away and don't look back.

He's already several steps away when he hears it.

"I love you."

Aang freezes and something feels like it exploded messily in his chest several times and he was suffused in a warm ache that he can't tell if it hurt or if it hurt wonderfully. The words were whispered so softly he wasn't sure he was meant to hear them. But he did. Or did he?

An odd rough sound rips itself from his throat and he had to close his eyes and shake his head to keep the tears from spilling over. He breaths in deeply several times before he straightens and continues moving forward.

It didn't matter if he really heard Zuko whisper the words because he and Zuko chose not to be together and so they never will be.

The avatar's sole duty is to the world.

People just don't know how true that is do they?

* * *

First Angst I've written in a while. And first AANGST I've written EVER!!! I was sick of people giving Zuko all the heartache so I switched over and wrote out pain from Aang's side XD

This was inspired by the song Goodbye by second hand serenade. Which, if you've never heard, can be found right here:

http : / / www . youtube . com / watch?v=IT-9lSSu658

Just delete the spaces. ^^


	4. Secret Admirer

Day 4 – Secret admirer

Rating – K+

Genre – Romance

Summary: Toph thinks that Aang is a good kid, really but seriously, she couldn't see how even smashing a rock onto that shiny bald head of his can make him any less oblivious.

* * *

"What'cha got there Momo?"

Aang asks as he bends down to the lemur that just scurried from somewhere and stopped at his feet. He was clutching something bright within his small paws and as Aang crouches down to his level, he sees that it was a fair sized, round, sweet smelling orange.

"Another orange?" he asks, tilting his head to the side as he holds out his hand for the citrus, which Momo hands over willingly.

"Where'd you keep finding these buddy? Not that I'm complaining, I love oranges." Aang asks the lemur, lowering himself to sit on the floor and pulling Momo into his arms.

A snort comes from somewhere to his right and Aang turns his head to Toph, who was leaning back on a broken pillar, head pillowed on her hands and one leg propped up on the other.

"Did you say something?" he asks and Toph points her lips to the side in a bored expression and says

"Nope."

Aang looks at her for a second or two, wondering if she was hiding something but eventually thinks it's not likely, shrugs and starts to peel the orange he just acquired. This is the 4th one this week that Momo brought to him. He wonders where his lemur kept finding them. Oranges are like his absolute favorite fruit in the world and not that he doesn't appreciate Momo bringing them to him, but if he knows where the orange tree or trees were, he could go and get them for himself and save Momo the trouble.

From her place, lounging comfortably on the nice, sturdy piece of stone, Toph sighs to herself in exasperation.

"Hey, Aang" she calls casually and he turns his head to look at her.

"Yeah?"

"Didn't you mention to somebody that you love oranges?" she asks

Aang looks up at the high ceiling of the western air temple as he tries to recall.

"…Hmmm, I think so? Yeah I think I did but come to think of it, I think I've told everyone that. Well not told them specifically but just mentioned it in passing at dinner or lunch…why?"

Toph shrugs "I don't know. I just thought that maybe someone is sending them to you because they know you like them." She says in what she thinks is a 'I'm saying maybe but I really mean _definitely_' tone of voice, which Aang misses completely. The air bender merely shrugs and continues peeling the orange in his hands.

"I don't think so. But hey, if that were true, then that's really neat." He says and Toph can practically hear the dumb grin forming on his face.

The earth bender resisted the urge to sigh in exasperation.

Well ok, he did only mention his love for oranges in passing during dinner a few days ago but if he weren't dumb enough to not notice it, he should know that there's one person in their group who has the motivation to give him something he wants even if it's something as small as a piece of fruit. And if he knows what she does, that there's one orange tree that's conveniently located near where a certain fire nation war balloon used to be(she heard from Sokka that it was now useless and broken under several feet of boiling water),which only _one_ other person aside from Toph knows about, then he most certainly _should _know that Momo wasn't the one sneaking off in the middle of the night to pick oranges for him.

Still though, orange delivery aside, doesn't he notice it? Spirits, she was _blind _but even she can see it. (Of course she could feel whenever breathing hitches or heart rates quicken but that's beside the point) It was so obvious.

When it comes to other people, Zuko has the tact and subtlety of a sledgehammer against precious china. Spirits sake, doesn't Aang notice the way Zuko stutters occasionally in front of him, _only_ him? Or the fact that the older boy sat next to him every chance he got? Or(and this she can't be sure) the way she thinks Zuko must stare at him for longer than deemed ordinary?

She thinks that Aang is a good kid, really but seriously, she couldn't see how even smashing a rock onto that shiny bald head of his can make him any less oblivious.

* * *

More days pass, more oranges wound up into Aang's hands and the air bender for the most part still remains clueless, thanking Momo brightly for the sweet-sour citrus fruits instead of the too-stubborn-or-to-shy-to-say-anything prince that Toph felt standing close by a few times when Aang thanked Momo. Zuko, on the other hand just kept on with his not so subtle (well to Toph anyway) behavior towards Aang and kept dropping hints that all but fly over Aang's bald, tattooed head. Everyone else also seemed as oblivious as Aang and being the only one who could see the glaringly obvious is really starting to get on her nerves.

Toph is seriously starting to consider pushing one of them off a cliff or binding their ankles together in stone. No one and nothing would stop her anyway. Sokka might most likely flip a frikkin shit if she told him about prince Zuko's little crush on avatar Aang but hey, he flips out on a regular basis so…Katara, well, she'll be surprised but hey, her and Aang had gotten a lot less sweet ever since the invasion for some reason so if she rejected him or something then she surely wouldn't mind if someone else makes their play for the airbender. As for everyone else, well, they all respect Aang and fear Zuko a little bit so, she guesses they wouldn't mind. And as for the oblivious bald idiot that was the source of the whole thing, well, to be honest she has little to no clue as to how he'll react if Zuko came right out and declared his affections, but hey, if Zuko wasn't gonna take the risk and find out, she's gonna force him.

She's not so sure why she approves, she's not big on the whole guys being together is unnatural and off beam thing she guessed. Besides, Aang would be good for Zuko and Zuko for Aang, she could tell. The fire bender was really impulsive and hot headed but he mellows out almost immediately whenever he's in Aang's company. Aang can keep him under control and Aang in turn could sure use a lot of Zuko's impetuosity. Plus, she suspects that somewhere deep down Zuko is just as big of a sap as Aang is and that he would enjoy spending hours on end, making googley eyes at and cuddling Aang, while the avatar did the same…she pauses in her musings, torn between hysteric laughter and horrified disgust at the mental picture. Ughhh…._Ew_. But hey, if that would make them happy then so be it. Plus it'd give her more than enough ammunition for poking fun at prince sparky later on.

Now, what to do, what to do….

* * *

It was with unnatural enthusiasm and typical mischief that Toph finds herself, a week later, crouching down behind one of the many wrecked pillars that littered the western air temple and served as really, really good hiding spots, listening and feeling intently for everything in her surroundings. It took her quite a bit of planning and spying(or observing through vibrations in the earth in her case?) before she managed to come up with this little match making scheme but hopefully, all her efforts would pay off.

She made a show of sealing herself inside her usual earth tent earlier that night, just so no one can accuse or even suspect her of anything later on. Then when she felt that everyone was sound asleep, she silently dug a tunnel that linked directly linked to the pillar she was hiding behind right now. Of course she could've just done everything she plans to do in her tent but she needed to hear better and being behind walls of solid earth really doesn't fulfill that.

Zuko already left half an hour ago, when everyone save from her drifted off to sleep and if memory serves her right from all those nights she stayed awake, feeling for Zuko's footsteps, he should re appear in about 10 minutes, through the space between the farthest left wall and the pillar next to it, walk towards Momo and leave a freshly picked orange next to him. A few minutes after he left, Toph had stepped out from behind her hiding place, moved Momo from his sleeping spot and deliberately set him next to Aang. She considered placing him directly on Aang's torso but decided against it. Aang could get a little violent in his sleep sometimes(A/N: LOL if you'd seen the nick online comic about sleep bending you'd know. But that aside I think that Aang shifts a lot and snores really LOUD in his sleep. I'm sure little Momo wouldn't want that) If things go as planned, Zuko would stay near Aang for long enough for her to do her thing and she could go on with her life without seeing Zuko beat around the bush like a lovesick dork.

10 minutes came and went and as expected, Zuko re enters the temple through the space between the left wall and the pillar next to it, clutching something small and round in his right hand. Toph smirks. She was leaning with her back against the pillar to help her stay still and she places one palm on the ground to feel Zuko's footsteps better. She feels him moving around silently, looking for Momo no doubt. Her smirk widens just a bit when his footsteps grow a little faster and restless before halting totally a foot or so from Aang. She assumes he just saw how close the slumbering lemur was to it's owner and was currently contemplating if he should still walk over and leave the orange next to him.

Toph holds her breath, awaiting eagerly what Zuko would do and tensing her muscles to bend in case Zuko decides to not take the speck-of-dust-small risk of waking Aang up and just forget about the orange. She doesn't expect him to mind you, Zuko wasn't that cautious, but still, you can never be to sure right?

As expected, after a few more seconds, she feels Zuko take soft, slow steps closer to air bender and pet lemur and slowly, silently sets down the orange on the ground a few inches away from Momo's side. He lingers there for a while, gazing sappily at Aang she was pretty sure. Ok, time to get this show on the road. Silently, she moves into a complicated, crouching stance and moves her arms to bend. She sucks in her lips in concentration and smiles in satisfaction when she felt the earth deep below her moving to her will. She leads the earth from under her to under the stones that were directly below Aang. She punches a fist in the air and the earth she was bending shot upwards and collided with the spot on the stone floor where Aang was sleeping, hard enough for Zuko to feel the impact beneath his feet and for Aang to be jostled out of his sleep.

Toph tilts her head to listen intently as Aang stirs and groans before mumbling something incoherent and asking in a louder voice.

"Mmm, Zuko? What are you doing?"

Zuko, who didn't have enough time to get away before Aang woke up, stumbles over his words as he grapples with a believable response.

"I uhh…um, I was just, I-I couldn't sleep and I uhh…err"

Then, as if sensing what was going on around him, Momo stirs and raises his head with a questioning purr. His beady little eyes land on Zuko and almost immediately, he leaps up to climb his way up to the prince's shoulder and lick at his face energetically. Zuko resists the lemur's affection half heartedly, mumbling small 'Hey's and 'cut it out's and gently swatting at Momo's head. Then, in one of those swift, jerky movements that he does, Momo darts down to Zuko's leg, where he clamps himself down as he would if Zuko's leg were a tree and he points to the orange Zuko was still holding with a purr as if he was telling Aang:

_Look he brought you another one!_

Aang's eyes darts from Momo's arm to the orange in Zuko's hand and raises his eyebrows in surprise.

"Zuko? You were the one picking oranges for me?"

Zuko was silent for a while, what with the cat now out of the proverbial bag and clawing at everything in sight but eventually, with his brain on an overload of _'oh crap'_, he nods tersely and grunts out a barely audible "Yeah."

"Why? Not that I don't appreciate it mind you, oh I guess I should thank you, so thanks…"

Zuko nods in reply and neither boy says anything for a few seconds.

"Zuko?"

"Hn"

"You didn't answer my question."

Zuko grumbles intelligibly and Aang sits up to stare at him curiously.

"What was that?"

"…Nothing, I pick some for myself every other night and I figure since I have a few to spare and you like them, then why not share…Anyway, we should both get some sleep, goodnight Aang."

He moves to walk away but Toph was already two steps ahead.

"Oh no you don't you little liar." She mutters under her breath and makes the stone Zuko steps on next lift up, throwing Zuko off balance and causing him to land squarely on the avatar, who squeaks in surprise.

"Uh…um.."

Zuko says, lifting himself to his hands and knees and looking down at startled gray eyes.

Neither make a move to get away for long seconds and Toph smirks in satisfaction.

So far, so good. Now there's only one thing left to do.

With a few quick motions, she made the ground beneath Zuko's knees shift, sending the prince off balance once more and face first, onto Aang. They land together with a small 'oof' on Aang's sleeping bag, everything from their waists, upward pressed together fully. And yes, I mean_ everything_, even their _faces_.

Gray eyes blink owlishly, an inch away from his own and Zuko immediately jerks away, their lips making a soft smacking noise as he did so.

"I'm sor-"

Halfway through his lips, the apology dies on his tongue as he seemed to consider something. Several seconds of tense silence later, he bends down and whispers something in Aang's ear, so soft that even when she strains her neck to hear better, all Toph manages to hear are the words. "this" "enough" "figure" and "reason". There was a very soft smacking noise that she assumes was Zuko kissing Aang on the cheek, then with the grace of a fat, blubbery penguin running full speed down an icy slope, he gets up and walks away, his embarrassment evident in the quick, heavy foot falls that Toph felt pounding on the stone floor of the temple.

Toph purses her lips as she listens to Aang sigh softly and settle down tentatively back unto his sleeping bag.

Hmm…she succeeded…she thinks…?

Well…she'll just wait and see tomorrow. She can always try again.

* * *

The morning after that, Zuko avoided Aang like the plague. He sat as far away from the monk during breakfast and afterward, he did his damndest not to pay attention to Aang or even look at him. His behavior worried Toph and she was just thinking of ways to fix this newly formed rift between prince Zuko and the avatar, when the latter appears from somewhere and all but marches up to Zuko, who looks down at the monk nervously.

Toph was just close enough to hear and she crosses her fingers when Aang asks "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Zuko coughs uncomfortably but he nods and follows when Aang gestures with his head and walks away.

Toph crosses her fingers tighter after they left. Oh man, this could only go really, really well or really, really bad. She hopes it's the former.

She spends the rest of the morning and all noon, worrying but when she encounters Zuko again, late that afternoon, his steps were light and quick, with a small bounce to it, she felt her worries evaporate like a droplet of water on the rim of a volcano. To her left, Sokka who can actually see the expression on Zuko's face immediately comments. "Woah, did Azula jump off a cliff or something? You seem to be in a good mood."

Toph inwardly grins.

Zuko ignores Sokka's comment and walks straight to Toph.

"All of that last night, was you wasn't it? Rocks don't randomly move on their own to make people fall."

He says and Toph says nothing but the smirk she has on her face was more than enough of an answer.

"I take it that the dumbo finally figured out who his 'secret admirer' is then?" She says instead and Zuko smirks. _That and more_ he thinks and as if she heard him, her smirk widens to expose straight, white teeth.

Sokka looks between the two of them as if they were speaking in another language, blue eyes confused.

Zuko punches Toph lightly in the arm, which is the equivalent of a hug or a 'Thanks. I owe you one' in her language and walks away, hands clasped together behind his head.

Sokka looks after the fire bender, eyebrows knitted together.

"What in spirits name was that all about?" he asks and Toph shrugs.

"Well snoozles, let's just say that if one of these days, you see twinkle toes sitting on Zuko's lap, being all lovey-dovey, don't be surprised."

Sokka was silent for a few seconds then makes an odd sound that made it seem like he was choking on his own spit. " …What?!" he asks.

* * *

And there! Day 4 All done…mehhh, this one I had all planned out then ran away from me half way through writing it. XD

Oh well.

Up next, Day 5 warmth ^^


	5. Warmth

Day 5 – Warmth

Rating – T- just slightly M-ish

Genre: Romance of the fluffy semi-hot kind ^_^

Summary: ANOTHER modern day AU for youz all. But this one isn't set in the same universe as the day 1 AU, this is set in the AU of my one shots, "If it kills me" and "With me" You don't have to read them if you don't want to, because I'll tell you right now what you need to know. In the two one shots, both Aang and Zuko live with their respective uncles, (Gyatso in Aang's case) because Aang had been disowned for being bi-sexual a year or two before he turned 14 and Zuko well, I didn't really give a reason why he was living with Iroh because it didn't matter much. Use your own imagination. Zuko and Aang had been bestfriends since forever and through out the course of the one shots, they get together. Both are musicians, Aang plays the piano and Zuko plays the guitar.(not that it matters coz he won't be going anywhere near a guitar here XD) This is set a year and a half after the end of "With me", which makes Aang 15 and Zuko 19.

And now for the actual summary itself XD:

Aang doesn't mind being detained by the cold downpour outside. After all, it was nice to just lay back every once in a while and bask in your beloved's presence.

* * *

"This sucks."

Zuko grumbles from his place on the fluffy, pale yellow window seat in Aang's room. He had his knees drawn halfway up to his chest and his arms resting idly on his denim clad legs. His head was facing the window and his golden eyes were dull and mildly irritated, like a cat drenched in water as he gazes at the down pour only visible by the light of the lamp posts outside.

Aang pauses in the middle of playing Fur Elise on his upright piano and lightly rests his fingers on the black and white keys. He turns his head to his sulking boyfriend and sighs. "Aw c'mmon Zuko, it's not that bad." He says in a fruitless attempt at optimism. It was the beginning of march and it was raining outside and if there was anything that Zuko disliked more than the cold, it was the cold and wet. However, it's not just the rain alone that has the older teen acting like a grounded child on a weekend, but also the fact that the two of them were supposed to go out tonight and drive up to the hill over looking their little town and spend a nice evening together (he would have said romantic but romantic and Zuko in the same thought still felt weird to him), like they've done every weekend since they got together but because of the rain, they were here, stuck in Aang's room until it lets up, which by the looks of it, isn't any time soon.

Zuko just grunts irritably and Aang sighs before turning his attention back to the piano keys. He starts playing Claire de Lune and lets his thoughts drift as the calming melody washes over him. Zuko gets so easily upset over little things, but he doesn't mind, he's known Zuko for as long as he can remember and he's gotten used to the older boy's temperament. Sometimes, ok _most_ of the time people question how he can stand it or if he can at all. And if not, why does he put up with it? He ignores them all, they don't understand. They don't see what Zuko is like when he's not in front of everybody else.

Suddenly the lights shut off and Aang jumps as everything turns black.

"What the-… Oh great. Just great."

Zuko mutters, shifting in his seat, judging by the rustling Aang hears.

Aang sighs heavily.

Now their ruined Saturday evening was complete.

Slowly, he turns in his piano chair to face Zuko's general direction and reaches out blindly into the darkness.

"Where are you?" he asks

"Still on the window seat."

"Can you come here please?" Aang asks, opening and closing his fingers like a child wanting to be picked up.

"Why?"

Aang pouts. He knew Zuko wasn't in a good mood but he didn't think he was ticked off enough to refuse even affection from Aang.

"Because-…do I really need a reason to want you next to me?"

He asks slowly, attempting to soothe Zuko's irritation with just the tone of his voice.

_Are you gonna let our whole time together be ruined by a few unfortunate events?_

There was a short pause, then a soft sigh, then Zuko spoke in a gentle voice. "No." He hears him get up and walk across the carpeted floor and he smiles when he felt the soft fabric of Zuko's hoodie brush against his outstretched fingers. Aang leans forward and wraps his arms around Zuko's waist, pulling the older teen close and burying his nose into his fabric softener scented shirt. He inhales once and lets out a content sigh, the same time he felt Zuko rest one hand on his upper back and the other on his head.

"What should we do now?" Zuko asks and Aang shrugs.

There really wasn't anything else to do. It was still pouring outside, there was no power so that means no watching tv, no going online, heck even no playing the piano. He couldn't play if he can't see where the keys are.

"Pretty much nothing we _could_ do." Aang mutters absently.

"Hmm" Zuko mumbles.

Then, a second later, a knock comes from the door before the sound of it creaking open makes it to their ears.

"Aang? Zuko?"

Aang instantly recognizes his uncle's voice and calls out to him. "Yeah, what is it Gyatso?"

"I just came up here to let you know, I'm going out to the tool shed for a bit okay?"

Aang's eyebrows furrow. "What? Why? It's absolutely pouring out there, wouldn't going out be a bit dangerous?"

"Oh pshhh Aang, I'm just going out into the backyard, I'm not walking all the way across town. The flash light under the sink is out of batteries and the other one is in the tool shed."

"What do you need the flash light for?"

"Oh, I dropped the kitchen knife just when the lights went out and I tried feeling my way around but I just couldn't find it. I think it wound up under the stove or something."

"Why don't you just use a candle then?" Aang asks

"Tried. Didn't work out too well. Candles aren't made for illuminating things under appliances. The light doesn't reach far enough and I can't solve that problem without getting wax drippings all over the floor."

"…Well...Ooh, I know, I can go out and get it for you!" Aang suggests, suddenly struck by an idea on how to salvage at least a bit of his evening with Zuko and make said teen feel better.

"No, no. I can do it by myself, really."

"It's okay Gyatso, I don't mind. Besides, didn't you say last week that your knee was killing you?"

"_Really_ Aang, it's alright,"

"Seriously Gyatso, you just stay here and light candles for every room or something, I'll go get it." Aang says and before his uncle can protest, he was already on his feet, one hand wrapped firmly around Zuko's arm.

"Zuko come, let's go get it."

Aang couldn't see it but judging by the way Zuko's arm stiffens slightly under his touch, he assumes that the older boy was giving him his famous 'are you kidding me? You have to be.' Look, which though he can't see, he ignores all the same as he drags his boyfriend to the door and past his still hesitant uncle.

* * *

The downpour outside was a lot worse than it looked from the inside and when Zuko and Aang make it to the small tool shed in the corner of Aang's backyard, Zuko's hair was halfway between damp and drenched and both boys' shirts and the bottoms of their pants were soaked.

The tool shed was one of those big walk in ones and it was big enough for both of them to fit but didn't have enough room to move around much.

"Hurry up."

Zuko mutters, voice almost drowned out by the sound of rain pounding on the shed's thin, wooden roof.

"Yeah, just a sec." Aang replies from his place crouched down to reach the bottom shelf, where Gyatso said the flashlight was. He'd been there for almost 5 minutes now, unable to find the flashlight among all the other stuff on the bottom shelf, in the almost pitch black darkness of the shed. His hand brushes something smooth and plastic with what felt like a switch on it and he smiles as he flicks the switch and a beam of light flickered to life.

"Found it!"

"Great, now c'mmon." Zuko says flatly, grabbing Aang's wrist and all but dragging him outside.

Aang frowns slightly, getting drenched seemed to have caused Zuko's mood to drop as low as the freezing temperature outside but hopefully, Aang might be able to take care of that.

They were already halfway back to the house, the flashlight tucked away safely in the pocket of Aang's loose fitting hoodie, when Aang grabs Zuko's hand with the arm that the elder didn't have in his grasp and pulls, halting both of them effectively. Zuko turns to the younger boy, ready to question what the heck he thinks he was doing but unable to do so when he suddenly found his lips pressed against Aang's. They were cold from the rain and the chilly temperature but nevertheless they were soft and gentle as they move against Zuko's own and the older teen finds himself closing his eyes and responding to the kiss, slowly getting immersed in the warm tender feelings that only Aang manages to arouse from him and feeling all the irritation from the rain, the cold, the black out and their ruined evening, wash out of his system until there was nothing but comfort and contentment and affection for the wonderful boy who was kissing him.

Aang smiles when he feels Zuko slowly loose his tension and relax against him and he sighs as he feels strong, arms wrap around his waist, puling him close to a warm chest that he feels even through the rain that was still continuously drenching them both and closer still to the warm mouth that moved lovingly against his and never fails to leave him feeling boneless and content and oh so warm, even when he's standing under a storm after a night of disappointments and annoyances.

He slips his arms around Zuko's neck and Zuko's arms tighten their hold on him slightly, making him feel warm and safe and happy in a way that only Zuko has ever been able to achieve.

They spend only several more seconds kissing unhurriedly under the rain but by time they pull away, Aang was under such a haze of bright, glowing warmth that he feels they've been kissing for much longer.

"I suppose that you don't have a reason for that too?" Zuko murmurs, nuzzling his cheek gently.

Aang smiles.

"You suppose correctly." He says moving his hand to Zuko's neck and entangling his fingers in the older boy's waterlogged hair.

"Heh…That's okay. You didn't need one."

A wave of intense, uplifting warmth floods through his entire being and Aang's smile stretches wider. He's wet and cold but he's warm, he's warm and safe and he loves, he loves so much. He loves because he's being loved in return and because Zuko was just so wonderful and human and perfectly imperfect and he deserves nothing less than what Aang was more than willing to give him.

He doesn't know how long they spend just standing there in each other's arms and soaking up comfort and affection from the other and not caring about the rain but eventually, Zuko points out that he actually feels that his clothes had gotten heavier from all the water they soaked up and hand in hand, the two of them walk back into the house, where Gyatso greets them with towels and orders them to stand on a rug next to the vents to dry up a bit and keep themselves from dripping water all over the floor. He had lit a candle in every area of the house like Aang suggested and Aang and Zuko stood, waiting to dry a bit while bathed in the soft amber glow of the rose-scented candle in the kitchen.

When their clothes went from drenched to merely damp, Gyatso sends them upstairs to change their clothes and dry Zuko's hair, while he went back to look for the knife he dropped earlier, the flashlight that Aang and Zuko retrieved clutched in his hand.

"Do you want to use a hair dryer or should I just fetch you another towel?" Aang asks he and Zuko make their way back up to his room.

"I think I need a hot shower. I'm still _freezing_." Zuko replies, following Aang when the younger boy opens the door to his room and walks inside.

"Okay. You do that. I'll go get you some towels and I'm pretty sure you still have some of your clothes in here. I'll go get em for you." Aang says, already moving towards his little walk-in closet.

"No, it's okay I got it, you go get changed before you get sick." Zuko says, going up to the closet himself and opening it before Aang even reaches the knob.

Aang shrugs. "Kay."

He waits until Zuko disappears into the bathroom across the hall before changing into gray sweatpants and a simple yellow tee and going downstairs to fulfill the last part of his 'make Zuko's stress completely go away and save the rest of the evening from being a complete disaster while I'm at it' plan. He goes downstairs to grab some more scented candles (they had tons because Gyatso used them regularly for meditation and he's fond of them.) There was already one in his room and he grabs about a dozen more, taking two trips from downstairs to his room to get them all there. Then he makes a pot of Zuko's favorite lychee tea, puts it in a thermos, grabs a pack of chocolate chip cookies from the pantry, two mugs and heads back upstairs. Once in his room, Aang puts the cookies, thermos and mugs down on his desk where they wouldn't get in the way and carefully rechecks to see if he got the right candles. (He loved the freesia and rose scented ones, he always thought they smelled nice and he thought he grabbed them but still, can't be too sure.) After making sure that indeed he got the candles he wanted, Aang sets about arranging them on the window seat and on the floor beneath it. He arranges the candles into a sort of circle that ranged from the floor to the window seat then back to the floor again, leaving more than enough space in the middle for two people to fit and distancing the candles enough to make sure that it would be safe to step in between them and they wouldn't get accidentally knocked over.

When he was satisfied with the set up of the candles, he sets the mugs and thermos down on the floor in the middle of the candles, the cookies on a bit of free space on the window seat, lights the candles carefully with the matches he kept in his bedside drawer whenever he himself occasionally lit a candle to meditate, sits on the floor, in the middle of the candles and waits.

* * *

When Zuko re enters Aang's room freshly showered, shirtless and rubbing a towel over his damp hair, his mouth falls open and his eyebrows shoot up.

Aang resists the urge to blush as Zuko surveyed what he had done with a look of pure amusement and slight awe on his face that doubles in intensity as his golden gaze lands on him.

"What's all this for?" he asks, mouth quirking up in a barely suppressed smile.

Aang smiles shyly and looks away. "Well you seemed really upset that we didn't get to go out tonight so, I made some of your favorite tea because I wanted to make you feel better." Aang says, gesturing to the thermos and the two mugs sitting next to him.

"And the candles?"

"Don't laugh, but I thought they were romantic so… yeah." Aang says, blush visible even through the amber lighting of the candles.

Zuko laughs softly and slides off the towel on his head to hang around his neck and he smirks but says nothing as he walks over and lowers himself next to Aang, sitting as close to him as possible. He pecks him on the lips and murmurs "Sap." after pulling away. Aang sticks his tongue out and tries not to smile but fails miserably.

"So, tea?" he asks, picking up the thermos and one mug with one hand each.

They spend about 20 minutes or so drinking tea in silence, huddled together comfortably. Zuko was leaning against the elevated platform against the walll, which was the window seat and Aang was leaning on him, head tucked under Zuko's chin. Zuko had one arm around Aang's torso, palm flat on his shirt clad stomach and Aang's own arm rested lightly on Zuko's, fingertips moving back and forth on his skin with feather light gentleness. Both were absolutely saturated with contentment and a warm feeling of well being that they didn't speak in fear of breaking the spell they managed to weave around themselves.

Aang was munching on a cookie, his and Zuko's mugs along with the thermos lying off to the side, all now empty, when Zuko unwinds his arm from Aang's torso and places one hand under Aang's jaw to urge his face upwards. Aang obliges and he gazes at Zuko from a weird angle, eyebrows slightly raised in inquiry. Zuko says nothing but gazes at Aang with half lidded golden eyes that burn with such intensity and undeniable affection that Aang feels the warmth and happiness and adoration that explode messily in his chest several times over although he was sure you can only feel so much at the same time.

Zuko leans down, then they were kissing, tenderly at first but gaining more passionate as the seconds ticked by. Without breaking their contact, Aang shifts and rises up to his knees so he could wrap his arms around Zuko's neck loosely. Zuko adjusts to the change and tilts his head upward a bit, sighing in appreciation when he discovers that the new position allows him to freely wrap his arms around Aang's waist and pull him closer. Aang slides his hands from around Zuko's neck to entangle one in his hair and rest the other lightly on his right cheek, relishing the warmth of the pale skin beneath his fingers.

Zuko makes a sound of approval and gets up on his knees as well, causing Aang to tilt his head upwards as Zuko regains the advantage in height. Warm, large hands slip under his shirt the same time a hot tongue runs along his bottom lip. Though rendered fuzzy headed by both, Aang manages to respond to both at the same time, opening his mouth to the slick, warm tongue and lifting his arms so that the hands can pull the shirt over his head.

Zuko's tongue curls against his lovingly for a second before pulling away long enough for him to rid Aang of his shirt then diving back in and resuming their heated kiss.

Aang moans softly at the skin to skin contact, his skin instantly warming up everywhere it touched Zuko's. His arms wound themselves around Zuko's neck again and Zuko places one hand, palm flat on Aang's chest, right above his heart while the other hand slides slowly from the base of his spine, upwards, leaving a trail of fire on Aang's skin in it's wake. When the hand on his back reaches the nape of his neck, Zuko moves it to his cheek and Aang moans at the delicious warmth that he feels against his face.

Under Zuko's other palm, Aang's heart hammers, practically screaming _'I'm yours. God I love you, I'm yours, always yours.'_

Zuko leans down to trail kisses along Aang's jaw and down the hollow of his throat and when he reaches Aang's collar bone, he moves the hand he still has on Aang's chest to cup Aang's other cheek. With intended slowness, Zuko lifts his lips from Aang's neck, brushes them against his chin and presses his mouth against the younger boy's again. He rubs Aang's cheeks with his thumbs as he kisses him tenderly, adoringly.

After what seemed like an eternity, Zuko pulls away and gazes down at Aang with that same intense affection right before this whole thing started and he smiles.

"Thank you."

He wasn't sure if Zuko was thanking him for the kiss or the tea and the candles but he decides that it doesn't matter and just smiles back. He opens his mouth to say your welcome, when the power returned and the lights in his room flicker on, effectively killing the mood.

Both of them look up at the innocent, plain, square ceiling light in the middle of the ceiling for a second before turning their eyes back to each other, expressions identically bearing that exasperated 'are you kidding me?!' quality to it. Then Zuko gets up, walks over to the light switch and with swiftly switched the annoying mood-killing light, off. Aang grins as Zuko walks back to him, sits down on the floor and pulls him back into his arms.

"Now who's the sap?"

He asks and Zuko scoffs.

"Shut up before I get rid of you too for disrupting the mood."

Zuko murmurs against his cheek with zero irritation in his voice and Aang's grin widens but obeys, not saying anything and sighing at the warmth against his back, around his waist and against his cheek.

* * *

Teee Heeee. I was a very, very happy fangirl when I finished writing this. Hope you are too right now ^^.


	6. Scars

Day 6- Scars

Rating- M

Genre – General/angst/ Romance

**Warning**: Lemon scented!!!! But nothing too traumatizing for innocent eyes XD This is set about maybe 5 or 6 years after the series, which makes Aang more or less 18 and therefore allowed to commit acts of lasciviousness without his partner being accused of pedophilia XD.

Summary: Scars are ugly, horrid. They symbolize nothing but pain, tragedy and bad memories. He hates his own but he doesn't hate the one on his lover's back.

* * *

The night was silent, peaceful and beside his lover of 2 years, Zuko lay on his side, fingers on the pink scar tissue in the middle of said lover's muscled, tattooed upper back. They had caused quite a stir when they announced their relationship to the world 2 years ago but like they had so many times before, they survived all the disapproving glares, haughty comments and prejudiced spite and they made it through in one piece.

In the dim light of the small lamp on his bedside table, Aang's scar looks crimson red, almost as dark as the one on his face. Gently, he moves his fingers from the center of the blemish to trace the ragged edges of the piece of damaged skin that he had seen, felt and tasted a thousand times before. He can trace the lines of that scar with his eyes closed, memorized how that scar felt under his fingers, mouth and tounge.

Scars are ugly, horrid. They symbolize nothing but pain, tragedy and bad memories. He hates his own but he doesn't hate the one on his lover's back.

It's not that he _likes_ it, not really. It, like every other scar brings only bad memories. It's a constant reminder that Aang came within a hair's width away from death and he had a huge part in it. It's a physical representation of why Aang shouldn't have, shouldn't_ be _with him. He doesn't merrily enjoy seeing it, but…

That scar also means that the pain was over, that the wound is sealed and the skin was healed, that Aang survived and he was alive.

That scar reminds him that despite all the harm that came his way, After all the wounds and injuries he could've suffered, all he got was that scar, that scar that was barely the size of Zuko's palm but was once a gaping wound that never would've healed if it wasn't for Katara and her spirit oasis water.

When his fingers reached the point where he started tracing the outline, he slides his hand over the entire scar and places his palm, flat against the damaged skin. This scar reminds him of why he doesn't deserve this man, this wonderful, selfless, forgiving man. But it also reminds him that he wasn't the same person who pretty much caused it's existence. It reminds him that, that period of his life was long over and that both he and Aang had put it all behind them.

People learn from suffering and they come out of it stronger, better and wiser and they all come out with scars to show for their changes.

Ever so gently, he leans forward and presses his lips to the scar.

Aang mumbles something in his sleep and Zuko lifts his head to look as Aang turns to lie on his back. Storm gray eyes, sharpened by age, blink open and regards Zuko with sleepy interest. The avatar yawns widely and when he opens his eyes again, they were fully awake and they shone with warmth when they land on Zuko's face.

"Hi" Aang greets, voice rough with sleep. His voice had deepened considerably throughout the years and the roughness of it's current state made Zuko's stomach pool with warmth and his veins hum with faint desire.

"Hi" Zuko greets back and shifts closer to throw an arm over Aang's stomach.

"Why are you still awake?" Aang asks, in that same, husky voice and Zuko couldn't help the kiss he plants on Aang's jaw.

"Couldn't sleep."

Aang 'hmmm'ed in response and turns his head to kiss Zuko, who leans in to meet him halfway. They engage themselves in a lazy kiss that leaves them both feeling so content and calm that they never want to move again.

"Aang?" Zuko asks when they finally break away.

"Yeah?"

"Do you ever have doubts? You know, about…choosing me?"

Aang doesn't answer for a few seconds and Zuko doesn't look at his face but he knows that a look of utter surprise must be on it. Then, Aang sighs, rolls over and braces himself with one hand on either side of Zuko's head. Gray eyes stare him down fiercely and Zuko couldn't look away.

"I know why you might think I would but I _don't_. Our past wasn't pleasant I know that, everyone knows that, but that's just what it is. It's the _past_. Yeah it may never go away and we can never change it but, all of that, it's _over_. We're different now, you are different. Seriously Zuko, I thought you got over this, years ago."

Zuko sees nothing but fierce honesty in those eyes and his heart aches at the sight of it. He chuckles.

"I'm sorry, I guess half a year of disapproval from the entire world and that scar on your back sets off my insecure side."

Aang raises an eyebrow at him then rolls his eyes. Zuko flicks him on the forehead.

"Hey, when everyone on the entire planet tells you you're wrong, you can't help but feel that they're somehow right." He says and Aang frowns down at him.

"You're exaggerating. Besides, even if every single person in the world did say that you shouldn't be with me, there's only one person you should listen to, _me_. And I say that if you dare leave my side just because people don't like it, then I shall either air bend or water bend or earth bend you to the end of the universe and back for being stupid or kiss you until you stop being stupid."

Aang finishes his sentence with a playful smile and Zuko couldn't help the smile that tugs at his own lips.

"I don't think that kissing me would make me any less-"

And he doesn't get to finish his sentence because at that moment, Aang decides to lean down and mesh their mouths together. His hands slide from the pillow to trail down Zuko's arms. Grabbing him by the wrists, Aang pins Zuko's arms on either side of his head and continues to kiss him eagerly.

When Aang's tongue darts out to lick slowly along Zuko's bottom lip, he opens his mouth and moans when he felt Aang lick at the roof of his mouth. Primal desire ignites somewhere low down, spreading outward, up his spine, down to the very tips of his fingers and recoiling quite forcefully where it originated between his legs.

Instinctively, he bucks his hips upward and Aang groans. He pulls away from Zuko's mouth to trail heated kisses down the side of Zuko's jaw, to his neck, then back up, to his ear. His hips press against Zuko's when he lowers himself to whisper in his ear and the older man immediately feels his arousal.

"Well, if kissing you isn't enough, maybe I'll just screw you into the mattress until you stop being stupid."

He whispers raggedly, breath warm and voice back to that husky, rough, deep drawl that Zuko found so alluring.

Zuko opens his eyes to gaze into lust darkened gray ones and he smirks. He pushes his hips into Aang's again, making the younger man throw his head back slightly and moan.

"Do it then." He murmurs, voice equally breathless and rough.

Later on, as Aang brings him to the height of passion, he traces that scar again and as if reading his mind Aang whispers in his ear, voice ragged from exhertion as he drives into Zuko again and again.

"I love you and I don't care what you did and who you were, I love _you _all of you, now and always." And to embellish his statement, he drags his tongue over the burned skin on the left side of Zuko's face and he kisses his eye.

Incoherent with desire and a wave of emotion so strong, Zuko could only whimper and turn his head to seek out the nearest patch of heated skin.

Afterwards, as they lay together, damp and exhausted, Zuko gathers Aang into his arms and presses the scar he had on his chest to the one on Aang's back.

He was right, the past didn't matter, other people's opinions don't matter, all that does is Aang, him, _them_. Scars were forever but they don't just stand for all the mistakes you've done, they also stand for what you've endured, what you survived and what was forever over.

* * *

Yeah, because I had to write at least one M rated fic XP and because I'm a harcore YAOI fangirl like that XD


	7. Scars 2

I wasn't satisfied with the other scars entry so I did this ^^

I'm 4 months late I know but oh well XD

I like this a lot better than the other scar piece ^^

* * *

Aang was the younger one in the relationship, he was the docile one, he was the less impulsive and above all he was the one who had been raised by and trained to be a _monk_.

That being said, he never ever thought that _he'd _be the one to make the first move.

At first the thought of sensual, physical intimacy with his beloved fire lord very rarely crossed his mind. Every time it did, he always thought Zuko would be the one to approach him about the topic and he was more than happy to let him do so but as time wore on and his hormones not to mention his curiosity developed along with his growing body and when Zuko never made even the slightest impression that he'd been having the same thoughts and feelings as him, Aang eventually realized that if he himself didn't ask Zuko, he would take he was gonna have to live in forced celibacy for as long as he lived.

It took a whole ton of guts, enough blushing to have caused him to lose consciousness and a ridiculously long amount of time but in the end he managed to ask his lover if he wanted to engage in passionate endeavors.

He didn't think he'd ever seen anybody's eyes get as big as Zuko's did when he asked him and he would've laughed at how it strange it looked on the fire lord's elegant, angular face if he hadn't been too busy trying to get his heart to stop trying to bash it's way through his rib cage. But even without the help of his racing heart, he wouldn't have laughed because after just a second, Zuko's expression morphed from stunned to something that looked like a hybrid between nervous and cagey. In fact, if Zuko hadn't turned his face away, Aang could've sworn there was even a hint of fear in his eyes. He immediately asked what was wrong, guilt already beginning to well up in his chest.

"Are you really sure you want that?"

Zuko replied, not looking at him. Slightly taken aback, Aang nodded. "…yes." he murmured.

"Really? Are you really sure?" This time, Zuko just seemed anxious but not scared and Aang got less cautious with his answers. He looked straight into Zuko's eyes and he said

"Yes. I'm 18 Zuko, heck, I'm a _hundred_ and eighteen. I know what I want and I'm ready to face everything that comes along with it. If you're worried about me-"

"No, it's not that." Zuko cut him off, still not looking at him.

"Well…yeah it's a little bit of that too but, I'm more worried about…well…"

There was a long pause and Aang tried as hard as he could to figure out what Zuko was so worried about but he didn't manage to get even the slightest idea when the older man spoke again.

"Have you ever really seen me?"

Aang could only tilt his head to the side and let out a confused "Huh?"

"What are you talking about? I see you all the time."

"Not like that. I-I meant…" and here Zuko blushed a little bit. "I meant without m-my clothes on."

Aang was silent as he thought about that. Well, he'd seen Zuko shirtless a couple of times when they were younger and Zuko was teaching him firebending but other than that, he doesn't think he'd ever seen the fire lord without at least one article of clothing missing. He voiced this out to Zuko, not sure if it'd help his case but knowing that at least it would keep the conversation going and Zuko replied with a thoughtful,

"I see..."

"I don't get it, what does this have to do with-"

Before he could finish his question, Zuko had grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him all the way to his private chambers, not stopping until they were all the way inside. He could only stand there and blink as Zuko went around, closing windows and drawing curtains and when Zuko finally got to the door and locked it, his heart began to race. When Zuko turned around and stood in front of him, his shoulders were tense and he was looking at anywhere but him, it made the powerful firebender look small and vulnerable and before he knew it concern began to sink in again. He reached out and touched Zuko's cheek as lightly as he could, hoping he could get the older man to lose some of his tension.

"What's wrong Zuko? Tell me."

There was a pause and then Zuko sighed and reached up to untie the knots that held his robe together. Aang was still confused but nevertheless, he stepped back and only watched silently as layer by layer, Zuko's clothes fell away.

Only when Zuko stood there completely exposed to his eyes and looking like he was holding out his very soul in front of him for Aang to judge, did he finally have an idea of what was bothering the fire bender.

Scars

Dozens of them, most were not that noticeable being only silvery lines against Zuko's pale complexion but some were either big or dark enough to be impossible not to miss. Most if not all of them looked like burns, probably acquired from training or sparring and in the middle of his chest, the biggest and darkest one of all sat, marring Zuko's skin horribly with it's deformed weight. He focused his eyes there for a moment before rising up to Zuko's face.

"Zuko…" he called out softly.

"You see? It's not exactly a pretty sight."

For a long time neither of them said anything as Zuko's words sunk in. So that's what he'd been scared of? Aang sighed and shook his head. He didn't blame Zuko, even if he seemed like he didn't care what he looked like or what anyone thought of his looks, he was still human after all. He couldn't help being insecure. Especially in this situation, Aang was sure if he ever had to stand infront of Zuko and their roles were flipped he would have acted the same but still…He sighed and shook his head. When Zuko finally managed to look up at him, Aang flashed him a small smile.

"You can be so silly sometimes you know that?"

Zuko looked slightly put off and opened his mouth to say something but before he could utter a word, Aang stepped forward and pressed their mouths together. When he pulled away a second later, he gazed straight into Zuko's eyes and leaned down to brush his lips against the scar on his chest.

"You don't have to be scared of me. You should know that out of all the people in the world, I'm the one who wouldn't judge you. Especially on your body alone."

and to emphasize his point, he reached up and touched Zuko's left cheek, brushing the scar there with his thumb gently. Even with that scar he never ever hesitated to kiss or dream about or _love_ that face and the same goes for all those other scars.

Slowly, a large smile broke out on Zuko's face and he grabbed the front of Aang's tunic to pull him in for a soul-stealing kiss. Happily, Aang wrapped his arms around Zuko tightly and kissed back with all he had.

Silly, beautiful, Zuko. Sure those scars weren't pretty and he couldn't pretend that they were but they were a part of Zuko and that alone was enough for him to love them.


End file.
